San Lorenzo Job - take 2
by jibber59
Summary: Not that I don't love the work done by the writers of Leverage, (after all, they do own the show and all the characters) but I always felt it unfair that Eliot didn't get his moment of gloat with Moreau. He deserved a chance to have his say. And to settle matters with his friends.


Eliot stood at the far end of the hall, watching Moreau being taken from the President's office by security. It wasn't that he didn't trust that the General had the right people from the job, but until he saw Moreau behind bars, preferably with the key at the bottom of some lake, he would not let his guard down. He watched a distance as allowed himself a small sigh when he heard the cell door latch closed, then slipped out before Nate and the Italian woman turned toward his location. This still wasn't over.

"Hardison, I need…can I talk to you for a minute?"

Hardison raised an eyebrow. " **Can** you talk to me? – Uh yeah sure. Where?"

"Someplace away from the crowds."

They met up a couple of minutes later in a quiet corner of the hotel courtyard.

"Look – Hardison, I know I am in no position right now to be asking favours, but I need one – a big one. More importantly, I need you to trust me, when you have no reason to."

It wasn't often Hardison had a chance to see Eliot looking or uneasy, but this was clearly an exception. Were it not for the anxious look in the hitter's eyes, it would have been a perfect time to get a few digs in. "What do you need?"

"I need you to shut down any monitor's in the cell block where Moreau is."

"Ah Jeez Eliot – what are you planning?

"I just need to talk to him, with no one knowing what I'm saying. I can't ask the General. He'd do it, but I won't compromise his position as the country's new Military leader. He needs to be seen as completely above board, and I will not be the guy who screws that up. I've messed up enough people's lives."

Hardison watched him for a moment. It was clear this was difficult for Eliot, and that it was important. But leaving Eliot alone with Moreau was setting off all kinds of alarms in his mind. If things went wrong, they would go very wrong. Terminally wrong. Was he ready to give Eliot the benefit of the doubt and trust him where Moreau was involved?

"OK – I can get you about 3 minutes. We can record some other message on a loop I can feed in, so that will be the official conversation. After that, the system will figure out something is going on. I can't do anything about the guards though. They will be at the desk."

"That's not a problem. I just don't want any video or audio active. No trace of what we talk about."

He didn't like it, but Hardison nodded his agreement.

One hour later Eliot walked into the prison, and over to the guards desk. They recognized him as one of the General's liberators, and greeted him accordingly.  
"Just checking up on Moreau before heading out. Need the satisfaction of seeing him locked up."

"Of course Commander." Obviously the General had given them a bit of Eliot's history. "General Flores mentioned you might be by for a visit. He did ask us to remind you that this area is under full surveillance."

Eliot grinned. "Yeah – he knows me too well."

The guard stepped aside and indicated Eliot could pass.

He walked slowly toward the cell. The emotions churned in him, and he focused on keeping his face and voice neutral. Moreau spoke before Eliot could start.

"I am so glad you came by 'old friend'. I so wanted to see you before you left."

"Save it Damian. I really don't care what you have to say, I just want you to listen very carefully. You are done. You're locked up in a country that now has an honest government, and General Flores will make sure it stays that way. And even if you could buy your way out, you got nothing left. We stopped you internationally, and the government here has all your assets. As far as your band of mercenaries – if you think for a moment any of them will stick around out of loyalty, you are delusional. Most of them are already out of the country. They were there because you paid well, and that is over. They're gone. You see, not one of them would do anything for you – or anyone – without the monetary incentive. Now me – I'm another story. Nate is fond of saying we work on a different financial stream. I work on a different motivational one. Your soldiers would kill if the price was right; I have a slightly different standard. You hurt my friends, in any way at all, and you will find out just how much I learned from you. If I even think you have made a move on any of them, you will live to regret it, at least for a while. You know I can get you out of here if I want. You will die slowly. And if I can't you out, I get myself in here and you will end if it takes my last breath. See, more important than being ready to kill for these people, I am ready to die for them. So there is nothing I will not do to take you down. The only reason you are breathing now is because they have standards and principles, and as far as I can I will protect those. But the second you put my best friend underwater, you became a dead man. It is just a matter of time before I cash that cheque. So go ahead – tell me what you're going to do. Push my buttons."

Moreau let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "We will finish this one day Spencer."

"I'm countin' on it." Eliot turned and walked out, knowing Moreau watched every step. When he got into the elevator he reached into his pocket and slipped the earbud back in place. "OK Hardison, you can give them back their security system."

Hardison clicked a few icons on the laptop, and reverted control to the guard desk before closing the lid. He turned and looked at the rest of the Team waiting in an office the General had arranged for them in the government building. "We've got about one minute before he comes in here. Do we let him know we heard that?"

Nate walked over to the window, hands in his pockets. "I may not be the one who should say this, but I think we need to stop keeping secrets. That doesn't mean we have to expose everything we have ever done, but we need to trust each other. If we don't have that, then we don't have anything."

The door opened, and Eliot looked surprised to see them gathered. He looked to Hardison, then Nate and quickly concluded what had happened.

"Which part of 'no one can know what I'm saying' did you have trouble with?"

Nate stepped forward. "It isn't like we couldn't have guessed what you were going to say. We just didn't expect you to be so – persuasive. But you need to understand where we are right now- "

"I do know – and I get it that you don't trust me on this, or any of it. If you are willing to give me another shot I will do whatever it takes to get that back. But if any of you – anyone – doesn't want me here I'll be history. I can get you the names of people you can use for security, including specialty jobs. There's nothing back at the office I need to get, so I don't even have to go back to-"

"Eliot for God's sake shut up. No one has asked you to leave. No one expects you to. You said we get to make that call so we will. Yeah – we listened to you said to Moreau. Not because we don't trust you. Because we know the lengths you will go to for the people you care about. And you need to know – he makes a move on you, and we will – how did you phrase it? – cash that cheque for you. You don't get off this team because of one moment of questionable judgement. We move forward. End of discussion."

"Nate-"

"Which part of 'end of.."

"You don't speak for them on this. I need to hear it from everyone directly, or I'm gone. I ain't stayin' if there's a problem."

He turned towards Sophie. "I am still 'that man' Sophie – I always will be. The best I can do is to keep him locked down. And to promise you that I will try every day to that."

"That is more than good enough for me" she answered smiling.

"Parker…?"

"If I promise to never ask, will you promise to tell me if you ever want to talk about it?"

Eliot bit his lip trying to keep it from quivering. He nodded slowly and she jumped over to him with a quick hug. Before he could react she was back to her chair.

He turned slowly to the one man he knew was most likely to send him packing, and with every good reason to do so.

"So really – I'm your best friend? That is so cool man. High five for moral!"

"Dammit Hardison…" He turned away from the hacker to hide the grin slowly coming to his face.


End file.
